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[54]
And these were the hard circumstances that the people of Gamala were
in. But now Vespasian went about other work by the by, during this siege,
and that was to subdue those that had seized upon Mount Tabor, a place
that lies in the middle between the great plain and Scythopolis, whose
top is elevated as high as thirty furlongs 1
and is hardly to be ascended on its north side; its top is a plain of twenty-six
furlongs, and all encompassed with a wall. Now Josephus erected this so
long a wall in forty days' time, and furnished it with other materials,
and with water from below, for the inhabitants only made use of rain water.
As therefore there was a great multitude of people gotten together upon
this mountain, Vespasian sent Placidus with six hundred horsemen thither.
Now, as it was impossible for him to ascend the mountain, he invited many
of them to peace, by the offer of his right hand for their security, and
of his intercession for them. Accordingly they came down, but with a treacherous
design, as well as he had the like treacherous design upon them on the
other side; for Placidus spoke mildly to them, as aiming to take them,
when he got them into the plain; they also came down, as complying with
his proposals, but it was in order to fall upon him when he was not aware
of it: however, Placidus's stratagem was too hard for theirs; for when
the Jews began to fight, he pretended to run away, and when they were in
pursuit of the Romans, he enticed them a great way along the plain, and
then made his horsemen turn back; whereupon he beat them, and slew a great
number of them, and cut off the retreat of the rest of the multitude, and
hindered their return. So they left Tabor, and fled to Jerusalem, while
the people of the country came to terms with him, for their water failed
them, and so they delivered up the mountain and themselves to Placidus.

1 These
numbers in Josephus of thirty furlongs' ascent to the top of Mount Tabor,
whether we estimate it by winding and gradual, or by the perpendicular
altitude, and of twenty-six furlongs' circumference upon the top, as also
fifteen furlongs for this ascent in Polybius, with Geminus's perpendicular
altitude of almost fourteen furlongs, here noted by Dr. Hudson, do none
of' them agree with the authentic testimony of Mr. Maundrell, an eye-witness,
p. 112, who says he was not an hour in getting up to the top of this Mount
Tabor, and that the area of the top is an oval of about two furlongs in
length, and one in breadth. So I rather suppose Josephus wrote three furlongs
for the ascent or altitude, instead of thirty; and six furlongs for the
circumference at the top, instead of twenty-six,--since a mountain of only
three furlongs perpendicular altitude may easily require near an hour's
ascent, and the circumference of an oval of the foregoing quantity is near
six furlongs. Nor certainly could such a vast circumference as twenty-six
furlongs, or three miles and a quarter, at that height be encompassed with
a wall, including a trench and other fortifications, (perhaps those still
remaining, ibid.) in the small interval of forty days, as Josephus here
says they were by himself.

Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.

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